Hello there,
I noticed a flaw or scratch in one of my porcelain veneers. My cosmetic dentist said that he could fix it. However by fixing the scratch, he removed the glaze from my veneer, making it dull and matte-looking. Now that the glaze has been removed, is my tooth vulnerable to staining? Do I need to get a new veneer altogether? The tooth looks fine in my mouth, but when I smile, the tooth is noticeably less shiny.
Please help.
Kana, from Rochester, MN
Hi Kana,
You are correct, without the glaze, your porcelain veneer is more prone to staining. The good news is, there is a procedure that allows you to polish a porcelain veneer. The process results in a veneer that looks nearly identical to a veneer with its original shine.
This procedure does need to be done by a cosmetic dentist. You can see your current dentist, as it does not require high levels of skill, such as a smile makeover would. Your dentist does need to have diamond polishing instruments and diamond polishing paste.
If you dentist has these tools and the capability, and you are happy with his work, you can see him. However, if you want a higher shine, you may want to seek out a different cosmetic dentist for a glossier shine.
This blog post is brought to you by Colorado Springs cosmetic dentist, Dr. Joseph Rota, of Rota Advanced Dental Care.